What I like about you

A couple weeks ago, my son asked if he could have a piece of his birthday cake, and I replied "Only if you eat a healthy dinner and have a good attitude". His attitude was marvelous, and the dinner was as healthy as I could make it, and of course he forgot his birthday cake and settled in to playing with his transformers while I cleaned up.

I settled in with a book on the couch, listening to his amazing repertoire of battle sounds and the growly voices of transformers come to life, and then, after a moment of quiet he came pounding over and with a leap he was standing next to me on the couch "Do you remember what I would like?", he queried. I replied "I do... do you remember what I *always* like?".

In the same tone of my answer came "I do..." and then he was in my arms for a big hug, and as I held him there, I said "There are many things I like about you, and I want to tell you two of them". I could feel his body change a little and I knew he was listening. "First, I like how even though you are strong and muscular, you are also incredibly snuggly", and I tightened my hug and gave his hair a kiss. "Second, I like how you come up with amazing things for your transformers to do, and I like how you can give them voices and make so many different cool sounds".

I could feel a happy wiggle, and felt wonderfully happy myself, and suddenly I felt him bunch up and he said "One thing I like about me is that I'm FAST!" and he jumped up and started to run. When he hit the wood part of the floor in his socks, he slipped and fell with a huge crash, and I winced to see it. For a moment after impact he was taut, and then I saw him relax and he eased down flat on his back - I heard him say as he looked at the ceiling, in a calm, musing tone "Another thing I like about me, is that I'm incredibly tough...", and he lay there for a while, for all the world looking as if that was where he wanted to be.

I like that I can tell him things I like about him, and I like even more that he can find things in himself to be proud of, even after he's experienced a fall. I am truly blessed to have such a wonderful son...